It'll Be Nice To Have A Friend
by Eienvine
Summary: It’ll be nice to sit with someone who actually wants me there,' he thought to himself. 'It’ll be nice . . . to have a friend.' Zechs and Noin meet at Lake Victoria. One-shot - almost a cookie, really.


It'll Be Nice to Have a Friend

by Eienvine

xxxx

"So, I guess we're sparring partners."

"I guess so."

"The instructor told me he thought we'd make a great team. I'm not sure why."

"Good."

"I'm Lucrezia Noin, but you can just call me Noin. You're Zechs, right? I've seen you around a little."

"Yes."

"This is your second year here, right? Mine, too. I can't believe we've never had a class together. Oh, the teacher's giving the signal. You ready?"

"Yes."

The two circled each other, and Zechs briefly wondered why he'd gotten stuck with this chatty girl. He was here to learn, not to talk to some little girl.

"So, you in the fourth dormitory?" _Goodness, is she talking again?_ "One of my dormmates- her name's Michelle Anders- was going out with Terrence Laugherty. He's in the fourth, too, right?"

"Terrence Laugherty is an imbecile and a fool."

Noin ducked under his quick blow and resurfaced behind him, a smile on her face. "Oh, you're being too kind. I usually call him a pampered spineless ninny- though usually not to his face."

Though he desperately tried to fight it, Zechs couldn't help a tiny smile coming to his face. He wasn't good friends with any of the boys his age- he was always too caught up in his studies to make friends- and he'd convinced himself he didn't need anyone else. Now, though, listening to the girl across from him laugh, he couldn't deny he missed normal conversations and the kind of good friends and companionship he'd been accustomed to, back before- before the attack. At the thought, his face grew somber again.

The girl, Noin, saw his change in countenance and was mercifully silent. Zechs wondered if she could tell he was feeling down, or was just put out by his lack on conversation. Either way, he was grateful.

They fought in silence for some time- quite a bit longer than Zechs usually had to fight in practice spars. He was the best fighter in his age group, not to mention in the entire school, and normally could throw anyone in a matter of moments. But this girl- she wasn't winning, but she was holding her own. Zechs couldn't help but be impressed, and as he always did when he respected someone, he told her so. She thanked him and smiled warmly.

The tense silence between them broken, they continued to circle each other, each waiting for the other to leave a gap in their defense. Noin suddenly spoke. "Why do you wear a mask?" she asked.

"It's personal," Zechs said shortly.

Noin shrugged. "I can respect that."

Zechs raised his eyebrows. Classmates and teachers asked him about his mask constantly, and none had ever been content with such a non-answer. He looked at the girl across from him a moment, then tentatively said, "Thank you." Noin simply smiled.

The fight continued in silence. A few moments later, Zechs saw an opening and lunged toward Noin, never expecting her to react in time. As he moved to tackle her, he felt her hands on his arms, and in the blink of an eye was laying on the ground with his dark-haired sparring partner seated daintily on his chest.

He stared at her. "I haven't been beaten since my second week here," he said in disbelief. She smiled and stood, reaching a hand down to help him up. "Don't worry. I won't tell anyone," she smiled as she pulled Zechs to his feet. A bell rang, and she looked up at the clock on the wall. "Lunchtime," she smiled, and turned to her partner. "So, Zechs, wanna eat with me out on the lawn? There's this great spot by the lake." Zechs found himself nodding as the pair headed out of the gym and toward lunch. _It'll be nice to sit with someone who actually wants me there,_ he thought to himself. _It'll be nice . . . to have a friend._

xxxxx

Lucrezia tossed the mail on the counter and began going through it, throwing the junk mail into the trash can. As she reached a small, white envelope, she hesitated, then tore it open. "Hey, Zechs," she called, using his old nickname rather than his legal name, Milliardo Peacecraft. The man in question looked up from the newspaper he was reading on the couch. "What is it?"

"You'll never guess who's getting married," she said, and without waiting for his reply, continued, "Michelle Anders and Terrence Laugherty."

He frowned a little. "Terrence Laugherty is an imbecile and a fool," he said. His wife laughed and walked to the living room to sink onto the couch next to him. He put his newspaper down and put his arm around her as she settled comfortably next to him. "Of course he is," she said into his shirt.

Her husband smiled and pulled her in closer. It certainly had been nice to have her as a friend, all those years at the Academy. She'd been his sanity, his humor, his humanity, as long as he could remember knowing her. She stirred and, unwinding herself from his embrace, stood up reluctantly. "I need to get the laundry out," she apologized.

Milliardo stood up and kissed her softly, then smiled as she walked away. Their instructor had been right, he thought to himself. They really made a great team. He glanced down at his newspaper, then stepped out of the living room, knowing Lu would appreciate some help with the laundry. With a small smile, he walked into the hallway and went to find his wife.

xxxxx

fin


End file.
